Research figures

Diabetic Mellitus (DM) is a multiple metabolic disorder that leads to abnormal metabolism in carbohydrates, fats and protein, causing hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia.[1] Millions of people have been affected by the development of diabetic complications, which is still a major endocrine disease.[2] It generally promotes the risk of macro and microvascular disorders in many organs, such as the heart, kidney, retina and brain.[3] However, it has been shown that persistent hyperglycaemia can promote glucose auto-oxidative and protein glycosylation, increase polyol and hexosamine pathways and induce protein kinase activation that causes changes in the inflammatory mediator's grade. Transitional mechanisms may produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in DM, which directly contribute to the elevation of oxidative stress in various tissues.[4] ROS induces oxidative stress that plays a pathological role in the development and progression of diabetic complications.[5]
STZ is known to have toxic effects on pancreatic Β-cells and may be used as a potential inducer of oxidative stress.[6] The recent study referred to the use of STZ as a diabetic inducer in experimental animals. Intraperitoneal injection of STZ leads to shrinking of the islet of Langerhans cell size with severe architectural disarray.[7] Moreover, it was found that the development of diabetic complications was associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease.[8] It is found in a myocardial biopsy from diabetic animals that many cardiac morphological abnormalities, including cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, increased quantities of matrix collagen and perivascular fibrosis were recorded.[9] In addition to mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress and endothelial dysfunction were also observed.[10]
In recent years, scientific attention has been focused on the search for safe and effective medicinal plants that can prevent or delay the development of diabetic complications.[11-13] The bioactive constituents of green plants modulate carbohydrate and lipids metabolisms, decrease glyceamia and insulin resistance and optimise oxidative stress of DM due to their antioxidants’ activities.[2]
The present investigation is concerned with pancreatopathy and cardiopathy as a progressive consequence of diabetic complications and the study of potential plant extracts that contain natural products as antidiabetic agents or biological compounds, such as antioxidants that have a protective effect against the pathogenesis of such disease.
Onopordum acanthium (OAE), or cotton thistle, is a species belonging to the family of Asteraceae used in Europe and Asia as a traditional medicine for different types of cancer and nervous

糖尿病（Diabetic Mellitus, DM）是一类多系统代谢紊乱性疾病，可引发碳水化合物、脂肪及蛋白质代谢异常，进而导致高血糖与高脂血症[1]。目前已有数百万人受糖尿病并发症困扰，而糖尿病本身仍是一类主要的内分泌疾病[2]。该病通常会增加心脏、肾脏、视网膜及大脑等多器官发生大血管与微血管病变的风险[3]。然而研究表明，持续高血糖可促进葡萄糖自身氧化与蛋白质糖基化，激活多元醇通路及己糖胺通路，并诱导蛋白激酶活化，进而引发炎症介质水平改变。糖尿病中的相关机制可产生活性氧（reactive oxygen species, ROS），直接导致多种组织的氧化应激水平升高[4]。活性氧介导的氧化应激在糖尿病并发症的发生与进展中发挥病理作用[5]。

链脲佐菌素（STZ）已被证实对胰腺β细胞具有毒性作用，同时可作为氧化应激的潜在诱导剂[6]。近期有研究将STZ用作实验动物的糖尿病造模剂。腹腔注射STZ可导致朗格汉斯岛（胰岛）细胞体积缩小，并伴随严重的结构紊乱[7]。此外，研究发现糖尿病并发症的发生与心血管疾病的发病率及死亡率升高密切相关[8]。对糖尿病动物的心肌活检结果显示，存在多种心脏形态学异常，包括心肌细胞肥大、基质胶原含量增加及血管周围纤维化[9]。除线粒体功能障碍外，还可观察到内质网应激与内皮功能异常[10]。

近年来，科研界的关注焦点集中于筛选能够预防或延缓糖尿病并发症进展的安全有效药用植物[11-13]。绿色植物中的生物活性成分可通过抗氧化活性调节碳水化合物与脂质代谢，降低血糖水平与胰岛素抵抗，改善糖尿病患者的氧化应激状态[2]。

本研究聚焦于作为糖尿病并发症进行性结局的胰腺病变与心脏病变，并探讨含有天然产物（如具备抗糖尿病活性的抗氧化剂等生物活性成分）的植物提取物对这类疾病发病机制的保护作用。

大翅蓟（Onopordum acanthium, OAE）又名棉蓟，属于菊科植物，在欧洲与亚洲地区被用作治疗多种癌症及神经系统的传统药物